Car-coupling



(No Model.) f l D. B.. oRoPT.

UAR GOUPLING.

No. 455,247. Patented June 30, 1891.-.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEricE.

DAVID BERNARD OROFT, OF GRAYSVILLE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOUR'FHS TO J N O. XV. IVERTZ, OF SAME PLACE, AND GEO. M. HELMS, OF HELMS, AND GEO. C. CABELL, OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,247, dated June 30, 1891.

pplication filed March 13. 1891. Serial No. 384,912. (No model.) 1

To all whom it may concern: vice; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the coupler 5o Be it known thatI, DAVID BERNARD CROFT, with two sections or parts of the draw-head a citizen of the United States, residing at removed; Fig. 3, a detail perspective View of Graysville, in the county ot' Floyd and State one of the sections ot the draw-head; Fig. 4,

of Virginia, have invented certain new and a top plan view ot the coupler, showing the Yuseful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and I draw-head open in the position of coupling; 55

do hereby declare th'e following to be a full7 and Fig. 5, views of coupling-links.

clear, and exact description of the invention, Similarlettersreferto similarpartsthroughsuch as will enable others skilled in the art to out the several views, in whichro which it appertains to make and use the same. The letter A indicates the usual draw-bar,

My invention relates to certain new and which in this instance is formed with square 6o useful improvements in car-couplers of the shoulders or abutments a and an extended automatic or seltcoupler class; and it conhead a. Each side edge of the draw-bar is sists, essentially, ina divided draw-head,each provided with two recesses c2, adapted to re- 15 section or part atl one end'pivoted in recesses ceive the tenon ends of a divided draw-head within the sides of the draw-bar, and held in B, as will be hereinafter more fullyT described. 65 coupling or engaging position by a spiral or The draw-head is approximately bell shape, i'lat spring. and its mouth inclines to the center opening It further consists in providing means b, through which enterslone end of a coup- 2o whereby the uncoupling of the cars may be ling-link C, which maybe either of the double accomplished from the top thereof or from arrow-head shape or of one arrow-head end 7o the ground, in the latter case wit-hout the and a link-head end, as shown in Fig, 5. operator being compelled to go between the The draw-head is dividedinto four equal cars. parts or sections b b2 b3 b4, each section hav- 25 It further consists in the automatic liberaing a tenon b5 on one end, which tits in one of tion of a car in case of an accident, such as therecesses @Qof the draw-bar and is pivoted 75 V the overturningof the car in either direction therein by means of the pin or 'bolt D. which has jumped the track; and it further Shoulders b, formed by cutting the tenons, consists in the details ofconstruction and arabut against the square shoulders a of the 3o rangement of parts, as will be hereinafter draw-bar and serve, in conjunction with said more fully described in the specification, and shoulders a, to relieve the pins or bolts of any 8o set forth in the claims. undue strain and consequent injury which The object of the invention is to produce a might be caused from the shock of the cars car-coupler that shall be simple and cheap in c/oming together suddenly. Each section is 3 5 construction and durable and eitective in use, made with a right-angled recess Ato receive and at the p same time possess all of the adone corner each of the extended head a', and 85 vantages of being automatic in coupling', readthereby provide forthe close lit of the respectily and quickly uncoupled without going beive faces of the draw-head sections. Each tween the cars, and automatic in liberating a section is further provided with a depression 4o car in oase it should jump the track or overy, which forms, when all the sections are toturn, as more fully hereinafter explained. gether, a recess y for the reception of the 9o These objects are attained by the mechanism head of the coupling-link, and a shoulder y2 illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in for confining the head of the link until rewhichleased by proper means. Each ot' the tenons 45 Figure l represents one end each of. two b5 is notched or recessed at w to receive one freight-cars, -showing my improved coupler end of a spring S, the other end ot' said spring 95 applied thereto, one of said couplers being being secured to the draw-bar. The'purpose represented in vertical longitudinal section, of these springs is to rigidly hold the sections and two ways of operating the uncoupling dein close contact until their forceis overcome by the action of the unconpling device or the sudden overturning of the oar. This the)7 do by exerting a force against that portion of the tenon which extends beyond the pivotal point.

The means for uncoupling consists of a vert-ical shaft E, journaled in the extended head ct of the draw-bar. This shaft passes up through the two upper sections of the draw-head and is provided with two elongated cams e e', centrally and rigidly secured thereon, one above and the other below the extended head a', and iitting in recesses z a made in the draw-head sections. These cams in their normal position lie in the same parallel plane with the extended head a. An operating-lever F is secured upon the upper end of the shaft E, and serves as a means by which the uncoupling may be accomplished without risk to the operator. If desired, the upper end of the shaft E may be provided with a xed gear-wheel to intermesh with another gear-wheel rigid on a shaft G, journaled in bearings secured to the end ot' the car, said shaft Gbeing provided with awheel II, by which it may be manipulated to operate through the medium of the gear-wheels the uncoupling device.

The operation of my improved coupler is as follows: On the cars being pushed together the free end of the coupling-link will enter the mouth of the draw-head, being guided to the central opening by the inclined face spreading apart the sections 1) h2 b3 D* until the head of the link enters fully within the recess y. As soon as the head of the link has fully entered said recess the force exerted by the springs S will cause the sections to come together, and the head will be firmly held and prevented from becoming uncoupled by the shoulders y2 and the force exerted by the springs S.

To uncouple the car, the lever F or wheel II is turned to the right or left, as the case lnay be, causing the cams to force apart the sections b' b2 b3 b by overcoming the power of the springs S and release the link. The extended head a limits the entry of the link. So long as the coupling-link maintains a horizontal position, or a position not to exceed an angle of about forty-tive degrees therefrom, the uncoupling is impossible by other than the proper means; but should a car jump the track the uncoupling will be automatically accomplished, for as the car leaves the track and the angle of the link passes beyond fortyfive degrees and reaches an angle of about ninety degrees the draw-head sections will be forced apart by the prying action of the link head against said sections and the link-head released. This is an important feature of my invention, as in accidents of this character other cars will be prevented from being dragged or forced from the track.

It will be readily understood that the improvement may be made to serve with many of the couplers now in use by means of a proper coupling-link-for instance, by means ot' the combined coupling-link shown in Fig. 5 I can use my coupler in conjunction with the old link-and-pin construction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An automatic car-coupler consisting of a draw-bar formed with abutting shoulders and extended head, a draw-head divided into four parts or sections, one end of each section pivoted in recesses madein said draw-bar, and springs for holding each section in close contact, substantially as specified.

In an automatic car-coupler, the combination, wit-h a draw-bar formed with abutting shoulders and extended head and with recesses in the side edges thereof, of a draw-head divided into four sections, each section pivoted at one end within said recesses, the springs S, and means, substantially as described, for uncoupling, as set forth.

3. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-bar having an extended head, of a draw-head divided into four sections, each section having one end pivoted in a recess in said draw-bar, the springs S, and an uncoupling device consisting of a shaft journaled in the extended head and provided with double cams and means for turning said shaft, whereby said sections are forced apart to uuconple the cars, substantially as specitied.

l. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar havin g an extended head, of the draw-head divided into four sections, each section pivoted in a recess in the draw-bar and form ed with interior recesses to receive the extended head and coupling-link head, and springs for holding said sections in close contact, substantially as specified.

5. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-barhaving an extended head, of the draw-head divided into four sections, each section pivoted, as described, to said draw-bar and formed with interior recesses as y y', springs for holding said sections in closed position, and the shaft journaled in the extended head and provided with cams and operating-lever, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID BERNARD CROFT.

l/Vitnesses:

JEFFERSON S. KELLEY, ANDREW L. (LANNADAY.

IOO

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